With the increasing popularity of electronics such as desktop computers, laptop computers, and handheld devices such as smart phones and PDA's, communication networks, and in particular Ethernet networks, are becoming an increasingly popular means of exchanging data of various types and sizes for a variety of applications. In this regard, Ethernet networks are increasingly being utilized to carry, for example, voice, data, and multimedia. Accordingly more and more devices are being equipped to interface to Ethernet networks.
As the number of devices connected to data networks increases and higher data rates are required, there is a growing need for new transmission technologies which enable higher data rates. Conventionally, however, increased data rates often result in significant increases in power consumption.
New transmission technologies enable higher transmission rates over a plurality of infrastructures such as copper cabling, optical fiber and backplane connectivity, for example, KR and KX4 copper backplane physical media. Various efforts exist in this regard, including technologies that enable transmission rates that may even reach 100 Gigabit-per-second (Gbps) data rates over existing cabling.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.